Imran can never paralyse Lahore: Pervaiz Rashid

Minister says energy crisis will ease significantly by 2016.

KARACHI:

Federal Information Minister Senator Pervaiz Rashid has said that like General Arora of the Indian army, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan will also fail in his desire to shut down Lahore. “Imran Khan cannot shut down Lahore. Lahoriites will come out of their homes [on Dec 15], have their breakfast and then dinner at the food street,” Senator Rashid said during a visit to the offices of Express Media Group on Wednesday.

He was responding to PTI’s threat to paralyse Faisalabad on Dec 8, Karachi on Dec 12, Lahore on Dec 15 followed by a nationwide shutdown on the 18th if his demand for an independent audit of the 2013 election is not met by the government. He said governments came to power through the ballot and not through wishful thinking.

Asked about a letter written by MQM Senator Babar Ghauri to the federal government, Senator Rashid said that if “they have any issue with the Centre, we are ready to resolve it, but the federal government will not intervene [in any row] between the PPP and the MQM”. He, however, hoped that the two parties would amicably resolve their issues.

Senator Rashid said that the pragmatic foreign policy pursued by the PML-N government has brought about a positive change in the attitude of world powers, including the United States and China, and neighbouring Afghanistan.

Referring to the two-week-long US trip of army chief General Raheel Sharif, he said that it was also the outcome of the sagacious policy of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. “Now, Pakistani leaders are warmly welcomed in Washington. The do-more mantra has ended. And the World Bank has offered funds for [Diamir-Bhasha] dam without the NOC of India,” the minister said.



He said that the chronic energy crisis will ease significantly by 2016 as 10 coal-based power projects were already under way. The protest sit-ins have delayed these projects by four or five months, but the Chinese president will visit Pakistan early next year to inaugurate these projects, Senator Rashid said referring to the cancellation of President Xi Jinping’s September visit due to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf dharna.

Responding to a question, the minister said that projects worth billions of dollars were delayed due to the cancellation of the Chinese leader’s visit. Subsequently, Premier Nawaz had to travel to Beijing to sign the agreements for these projects.

Talking about the long-term projects, the minister said that two big dams would be completed within eight years while the government would complete several short-term projects to significantly ease the electricity crisis by 2016.

He regretted that Pakistan could not tap its huge reservoirs of coal in Thar in 2014 while India had started generating electricity from coal in 1952. “It will take another two years to mine enough coal to generate electricity,” he said, adding however that the government was expediting work on coal-based power projects.

Realistic analysis will show that the power crisis has comparatively eased significantly since the PML-N has been voted to power as a result of the 2013 general elections. There has been a visible decrease in the frequency and duration of load shedding over the last one-and-a-half year, he added.

Asked about the passing on the benefits of the significant cut in prices of petroleum products, Senator Rashid said that after the passage of the 18th constitutional amendment the federal government could not interfere in provincial affairs. “The prime minister has already written to the provincial chief ministers to ensure that the common man gets the benefits of the cut in fuel prices. Now, it’s for the provincial governments to ensure that the prices of kitchen items are cut,” he added.

Asked about the estranged PML-N leaders in Sindh, the minister said they had been given a free hand before the 2013 elections, but they lost. After losing the election these leaders wanted a share in power or derail the provincial government, he said. However, the PML-N believed that such policies would undermine the country, he added.

About PTI’s ongoing campaign against the government, the minister said that Imran Khan has been issuing threats and making wild allegations from atop his custom-built container but the government was showing restraint.

He recalled that Nawaz Sharif had postponed his election campaign for two days when Imran fell from the stage during a campaign rally in the run-up to the 2013 elections. “After winning the elections, the prime minister visited the PTI chief at his Bani Gala residence, but in return we were badmouthed by Imran.”

Asked about Imran’s demand for a judicial probe into the alleged electoral rigging, Senator Rashid said that the prime minister had written a letter to the Supreme Court on August 13, requesting for the formation of a judicial commission. “However, now judges of the superior judiciary want an assurance that they would not be badmouthed after the commission submits its report,” he said.

He said that the government has been willing for serious and meaningful negotiations from day one but “talks cannot be held under the barrel of gun”.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 4^th, 2014.